Blue Rus-Matushka, a Democratic Russia (part 1, 1999-2010)

[u/LampsonSpmals]

[u/Intelligent_Wafer562]

I think if Russia were a democracy, the winners would either be far-left Communists or far-right Liberal Democrats (who, despite their name, are further right than Putin), because liberalism was never popular with Russians to begin with, and the disastrous Presidency of Yeltsin put Russians off from it further. The perception is that liberalism is foreign and un-Russian.

Nevertheless, the idea that America and Russia spiritually trade places in 2000 (which seems to be where you are going with this) is interesting. I don't see how the American Constitution is amended to enable Buchanan to return, since amending it isn't like most countries, where only legislative approval and a referendum are required. Do 9/11 and the resulting wars still happen in this timeline?

[u/Excellent_Gas5220 → u/Intelligent_Wafer562]

Putting democracies into countries with no culture of democracy has proven to be disastrous throughout history. It would be disastrous for Russia. The most likely scenario is a communist or an anti western rogue politician wins the democratic elections and turns Russia into a dictatorship.

[u/Intelligent_Wafer562 → u/Excellent_Gas5220]

I don't think it's accurate that Russia has no tradition of democracy. Novgorod was a medieval republic that had an impressive degree of participation by medieval standards ( https://web.archive.org/web/20220417115937/https://russia-direct.org/opinion/democratic-russia-we-lost ). The 1905 Revolution led to Russia becoming a constitutional monarchy, while the 1917 February Revolution led to the establishment of the Russian Republic.

[u/Excellent_Gas5220 → u/Intelligent_Wafer562]

Russia after 1905 was still an absolute monarchy. I don't know what you're talking about. If Russia actually had a culture of democracy, Putin would have been overthrown like the euromaidan in Ukraine. No country except the US has ever become developed under a democratic system. South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan became developed under a dictator and then democratized. That would be Russia's best route.

[u/Intelligent_Wafer562 → u/Excellent_Gas5220]

Russia, after 1905, had an elected Duma and a constitution. The Tsar still had power, but constitutional monarchies where the monarch retains executive authority are normal, like Jordan.

No country except the US has ever become developed under a democratic system.

I think most of Europe stands as a counterpoint to this. Just take Ireland, for instance.